Hosni Mubarak has stepped down as the president of Egypt, handing control of the country to the armed forces. Mubarak stepped down after eighteen days of mass protests across the country.

“In these difficult circumstances that the country is passing through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to leave the position of the presidency. He has commissioned the armed forces council to direct the issues of the state,” said the vice president of Egypt, Omar Suleiman. Both houses of parliament and the cabinet are expected to be suspended following Mubarak’s resignation the BBC reports, quoting Al-Arabiya.

In response to the resignation, Nobel Peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei stated that “This is the greatest day of my life. The country has been liberated.”